Happy Iranian New Year (Happy Nowruz)
AMADGARAN
“AMADGARAN Logistics & SCM Group” celebrates Nowruz (Iranian New Year) and wishes love, bravery, wisdom, contentment, health, patience, cleanliness to be by your side.
Happy Persian New Year (Happy Nowruz)
Nowruz is the Iranian or Persian New Year which is considered extremely auspicious. Nowruz falls along the spring equinox and marks the beginning of the Iranian Solar Hijri calendar.
Nowruz – No-Ruz or Farsi for “new day” – is an ancient festival celebrating the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
More than 300 million people celebrate the Persian New Year, which has been observed for more than 3,000 years in different regions, including the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East and others.
What is Nowruz?
Nowruz is a celebration that marks the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one and is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, which usually takes place on March 21.
The celebrations last for 13 days, and it’s an opportunity to reflect on the past and set intentions for the future.
The festival is rooted in Zoroastrianism, a religion practiced in ancient Persia that predates Christianity and Islam.
The celebration is part of UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and the United Nations General Assembly of 2010 proclaimed March 21 as International Nowruz Day.
Why Nowruz is Celebrated?
"Nowruz" translates to "New Day" in Farsi,
encapsulating the essence of fresh beginnings. Following the Iranian Solar
Hijri calendar, Nowruz aligns with the spring equinox, typically falling on
March 19, 20, or 21 according to the Gregorian calendar. This year, Nowruz will
be celebrated on March 20, 2024, while the United Nations commemorates the
International Day of Nowruz on March 21st.
Nowruz Tradition:
Traditional Nowruz festivities encompass a vibrant celebration of
customs, including ritual dances and the exchange of gifts. Central to the
celebration is the "haft-sīn," where families assemble seven symbolic
items representing renewal and rejuvenation. These items, such as wheat for
rebirth and good fortune, embody the spirit of Nowruz and its enduring
significance.
Who celebrates Nowruz?
Given its origins, the festivity is marked in countries with significant Persian cultural influence, including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Turkey, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
It is also observed by minority communities in the Americas, and Europe, including in cities like Los Angeles, Toronto, and London.
How do people celebrate Nowruz?
The celebrations vary from country to country, but some common traditions are shared.
Some include symbolic preparations with fire and water and ritual dances that sometimes involve jumping over fires. The flames symbolically purge the bad experiences from the previous year.
Before the start of Nowruz, a traditional spring cleaning takes place in the houses, while, during the celebration, people reunite with family and friends. Right before the arrival of the new year, families gather and exchange wishes, with the eldest distributing sweets and young children receiving coins and presents.
But one of the most important traditions lies in preparing the Haft-Seen table.
Haft-Seen table during Nowruz
The Haft-Seen table, or the table of seven things that start with the letter S, is a family activity.
It usually starts by spreading a special family cloth on the table, and then it is followed by placing the seven S items. These can include:
- Sirkeh (vinegar): Represents age and patience that often comes with ageing
- Sikkeh (coin): For wealth and prosperity
- Seer (garlic): For good health
- Seeb (apples): For health and natural beauty
- Sabzeh (wheat): For rebirth, renewal and good fortune
- Samanu (wheat pudding): A sweet dessert for wealth, fertility and the sweetness of life
- Sumac (berries): For the sunrise and the celebration of a new day
Besides these elements, the table might also include a mirror to symbolically reflect the past year, painted eggs to represent fertility, a goldfish to represent new life, and candles to show light and happiness.
A variety of food dishes are prepared during the festivity, but “ash-e resteh” or noodle soup is usually served and is believed to symbolize the “many possibilities in one’s life”, according to research conducted by Harvard University.
Special sweets, including baklava and sugar-coated almonds, are also believed to bring good fortune and are shared during the celebration. Other dishes include fish served with special rice with green herbs and spices, symbolizing nature in spring.
